Poppy's Fall

Chapter 2

The telephones shrill ringing echoed through Poppy’s apartment for the fifth time that morning.  Didn’t anyone realize she was in mourning, she thought as she flopped over on her bed.  She stared at the ceiling and supposed she should get up to shower but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.  This was what a broken heart felt like. 

Poppy rolled over on her side, bringing her knees up toward her chest.  She had been twelve when she first experienced heartbreak and caught her then boyfriend, Peter Madison, in the closet playing seven minutes in heaven with Cassidy Thompson.  Like a true friend, Ellie had left the party with her and stayed awake all night plotting revenge.  Coincidentally, that was how the tradition of eating junk food and watching sappy movies had been born.  That night, Poppy had dramatically sworn off boys.  Never again would she be made to feel so vulnerable.  She had kept her word hadn’t she?  Throughout the years she dated but had never fallen in love, keeping men at arms length and avoided saying those three little words. 

She slipped up with Kyle and had gotten careless.  She should have known it was too good to be true.  What could have possessed her to believe in happy endings?  It was all Ellie’s fault, Poppy realized as she sat up in her bed.  Her usual full-of-life hair, back to its normal deep chestnut color, hung dull and limp down her back.  But she couldn’t stay angry with her best friend.  Ellie deserved her fairy tale ending after putting up with her ex-husband for so long.       

Thinking of Ellie, Poppy’s honey brown eyes scanned her room until they landed on a sweater draped over a high-back wooden spindle chair painted a bright aqua blue sitting in the corner.  Not just any sweater but the grey cable-knit, authentic Irish sweater Ellie had gotten for her.  A sudden notion began to form in her mind.  She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before.  Poppy stood up abruptly and snatched the sweater off the chair on her way to the living room.  She fired up her laptop and grimaced when she got a good look at herself in the oversized round mirror hanging over the kitchen table.  Before anything else, she needed a shower.

                                                                                                *** 

It wasn’t her style, but Poppy was going to take a page right out of Ellie’s book and quite literally run away.  She first made accommodation and flight arrangements, asking to be on stand-by for the next available flight to Ireland.  Then she contacted her clients as they needed to know she would be away and how she could be reached should they need to get a hold of her.  Her next call was to Ellie who squealed so loudly over the phone at the prospect of her best friend coming for a visit Poppy had to hold the receiver away from her ear.  She technically didn’t lie to Ellie why she had suddenly decided to make the trip to Ireland.  She just didn’t want to get into it over the phone.  Poppy knew Ellie would see it on her face as soon as she got off the airplane so there was no point in getting her friend all worked up before she even arrived.

As she packed clothes into her luggage Poppy periodically checked her phone.  She knew she should let it go, he wasn’t worth it, but she had really liked him.  Who was she kidding?  She had handed Kyle her heart and he had taken it only to give it back battered and broken.  Being away would do her some good.  She would be able to regroup and figure out her next move.  How would she handle the situation?  Poppy wasn’t exactly known to beat around the bush.  The confrontation would be ugly but she had never let anyone walk all over her and she wasn’t about to start.  She had thought about sending him a nasty message but that wasn’t her style either.  Poppy Hartley faced things head-on.            

Casting one last glance at her apartment, Poppy rolled out her suitcase and locked the door behind her.  She moved across the hall to knock on Agnes’s door then waited. 

“I’ll be right there.” Agnes called out.

Poppy knew she would have to knock again because Agnes would forget.

As predicted, Poppy knocked again five minutes later.  “Oh, goodness” she could hear Agnes saying as she hurried to the door.

“Hi Agnes” Poppy smiled brightly at the disheveled old woman. 

Glasses askew, Agnes surveyed the luggage behind Poppy and sent her young neighbor a sympathetic smile.  “Going somewhere?”

"I’m going to visit my best friend in Ireland.” Poppy fished out a key from her pocket.  “If you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on my apartment that would be great.”

Poppy knew Agnes would lose the key within hours which was why she had another one hidden in the planter down the hall.  But she also knew the old woman felt a sense of pride when someone asked her to take care of something for them.  Poppy didn’t mind leaving as she was aware Mr. Franklin two doors down also had a key to Agnes’s apartment, so she could feel better about it, knowing her absent-minded friend would not be locked out of her home while she was away.

“Well now a nice vacation will do you some good.” Agnes took the key from Poppy and dropped it in one of the oversized pockets of her sunshine yellow housecoat. 

“Thanks for your help.” Poppy embraced the small woman. “And if you see…”

"I’ll give him a piece of my mind for treating you the way he did.” Agnes interjected.  When the young woman lifted a brow in surprise Agnes smiled broadly and retreated into her apartment.  Agnes was quite aware most of her neighbors called her Crazy Agnes as a term of endearment.  There was no doubt she was scatter-brained, but she was far more observant than people gave her credit for.

Moving to the elevators down the hall, Poppy shook her head and chuckled.  Agnes wasn’t as crazy as everyone made her out to be. 

Outside, Poppy hailed a taxi and settled in for the short drive to the airport.  She was beyond excited to see Ellie and meet Aidan face to face.  Finally, she was excited to see the country that her best friend had fallen in love with.   And maybe, just maybe she would find a hot Irishman as well.  Poppy watched the passing scenery through the window, supressing the sad smile that tried to push its way to her lips.  She didn’t want anyone else, she wanted Kyle.  Why did he have to end up being such a jerk?  The real question was why was she so attracted to jerks?  There had been Steve with the pregnant girlfriend and Jason with not one but two other girlfriends.  At least Billy had told her upfront he was looking for a side-chick to which she gracefully bowed out.  But none of these men had made her heart rap against her ribcage like Kyle did.  Or rather, like he had. 

                                                                                                *** 

At the airport, Poppy quickly made it to the gate number provided on her ticket.  She stood by as she watched the guaranteed passengers board the plane.  She anxiously listened for her name to be called out.

“Poppy Hartley” a woman’s voice came through the loudspeaker. 

For a second Poppy couldn’t believe she had actually heard it.  But when her name was called out a second time she all but ran onto the aircraft in fear they had made a mistake.  There was no mistake.  Twenty minutes later they were taxying away from the gate and she was on her way to Ireland.